Decline

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Dictionary Meaning and Definition on 'Decline'

Decline Meaning and Definition from WordNet (r) 2.0
    decline n
  1. change toward something smaller or lower [syn: diminution]
  2. a condition inferior to an earlier condition; a gradual falling off from a better state [syn: declination] [ant: improvement]
  3. a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current [syn: decay]
  4. a downward slope or bend [syn: descent, declivity, fall, declination, declension, downslope] [ant: ascent] v
  5. grow worse; "Conditions in the slum worsened" [syn: worsen] [ant: better]
  6. refuse to accept; "He refused my offer of hospitality" [syn: refuse, reject, pass up, turn down] [ant: accept]
  7. show unwillingness towards; "he declined to join the group on a hike" [syn: refuse] [ant: accept]
  8. grow smaller; "Interest in the project waned" [syn: go down, wane]
  9. go down; "The roof declines here"
  10. go down in value; "the stock market corrected"; "prices slumped" [syn: slump, correct]
  11. inflect for number, gender, case, etc., "in many languages, speakers decline nouns, pronouns, and adjectives"
Decline Meaning and Definition from Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
    Decline \De*cline"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Declined; p. pr. & vb. n. Declining.] [OE. declinen to bend down, lower, sink, decline (a noun), F. d['e]cliner to decline, refuse, fr. L. declinare to turn aside, inflect (a part of speech), avoid; de- + clinare to incline; akin to E. lean. See Lean, v. i.]

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Wikipedia Meaning and Definition on 'Decline'


Decline is a change over time from previously efficient to inefficient organizational functioning, from previously rational to non-rational organizational and individual decision-making, from previously law-abiding to law violating organizational and individual behavior, from previously virtuous to iniquitous individual moral behavior. Note: The word decline should not be confused with the word obsolete. Decline refers to the degenerating of something whereas obsolete refers to the outdating of something or that it is no longer in use.Is the prosses of declining ,a gradual sinking and wasting away.

Social decline or moral decline is typically characterised as reduced adherence to cultural or social norms or values and widespread lapses in ethical behavior.

Entities and organizations may enter a state of decline if they fail to respond effectively to changes, because they :

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'Decline' in famous quotation sentence


* The more the fruits of knowledge become accessible to men, the more widespread is the decline of religious belief. - Sigmund Freud

* Of all the self-fulfilling prophecies in our culture, the assumption that aging means decline and poor health is probably the deadliest. - Marilyn Ferguson

* The common dogma of fundamentalists is fear of modern knowledge, inability to cope with the fast change in a scientific-technological society, and the real breakdown in apparent moral order in recent years.... That is why hate is the major fuel, fear is the cement of the movement, and superstitious ignorance is the best defence against the dangerous new knowledge. ... When you bring up arguments that cast serious doubts on their cherished beliefs you are not simply making a rhetorical point, you are threatening their whole Universe and their immortality. That provokes anger and quite frequently violence. ... Unfortunately you cannot reason with them and you even risk violence in confronting them. Their numbers will decline only when society stabilizes, and adapts to modernity. - G Gaia


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Decline Sample Sentences in News


  • Stock market decline is muted, despite bank slump - Yahoo Finance
    JPMorgan's surprise $2 billion trading loss prompted a sell-off in financial stocks Friday, with smaller declines across the broader market as investors decided this was more of a problem for investment banks than for other industries. Read more on this news related to 'Decline'
  • The Decline of State-Sponsored Terrorism - Atlantic Online
    The death of Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi in Libya means the departure of a living link to an era of terrorism that was much different from what we see today. The 1980s was the peak of modern state-fomented international terrorism. The decade began with ... Read more on this news related to 'Decline'
  • Metals Decline as Wheat Rebounds: Commodities at Close - Bloomberg
    The Standard & Poor’s GSCI gauge of 24 commodities dropped 0.6 percent to 629.65 at 5:31 p.m. in London. The UBS Bloomberg CMCI index of 26 raw materials was down 0.7 percent at 1,490.406. Natural gas rose in New York for the second time in ... Read more on this news related to 'Decline'

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